In a groundbreaking achievement, Elon Musk's SpaceX made history on Sunday (13 October) as they successfully caught the first-stage booster of their Starship rocket with the launch tower's large mechanical "chopsticks" in Texas. This marks a world-first in the pursuit of rapid reusability for the company, as the booster completed its flight and returned in a controlled manner to the launch pad. SpaceX founder Musk described the moment as "a day for the engineering history books."
Elon Musk's SpaceX Makes History with Starship Booster Catch
In a groundbreaking achievement, Elon Musk's SpaceX made history on Sunday, October 13th, by successfully catching the first-stage booster of their Starship rocket with the launch tower's large mechanical "chopsticks" in Texas. This marks a world-first in the pursuit of rapid reusability for the company.
Background:
SpaceX has been developing the Starship rocket system for several years, aiming to create a fully reusable launch vehicle that can drastically reduce the cost of spaceflight. The first-stage booster is designed to lift the Starship spacecraft into low Earth orbit, while the second stage will take it into trans-lunar or trans-Mars injection for deep space missions.
Sunday's Launch:
On Sunday, SpaceX launched the Starship SN15 prototype from its launch pad in Boca Chica, Texas. The booster successfully completed its flight and then re-entered the Earth's atmosphere, deploying its fins and flaps to control its descent.
As the booster approached the launch pad, the launch tower's mechanical "chopsticks" extended and caught the booster, bringing it to a controlled landing. This marks the first time a rocket booster of this size has been successfully caught in mid-air.
Significance:
The successful booster catch is a major milestone for SpaceX and the development of the Starship rocket system. It demonstrates the feasibility of rapid reusability, which is essential for reducing the cost of spaceflight. By catching the booster and reusing it for multiple launches, SpaceX can significantly reduce the time and resources required for future missions.
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